Hunting Buffalo With Bent Nails is a collection of Block’s travel essays and anthology introductions that shows off his writing ability and acerbic wit. In short, if you are familiar with Block’s writing, you’ll recognize his narrative voice and enjoy his insights on Matt Scudder, Bernie R., Keller, and Jill Emerson. It’s filled with wit, grace, and is surprisingly a fun read. Absent from it is any of Block’s fiction, but your bookshelves are probably already filled with that. Rather, you get to hear about Block and his wife traveling around the country searching out towns named Buffalo, how comforting antiseptic Holiday Inns are, how odd the creative process is, and all manner of prattling details. Although probably not for everyone, there’s a lot to like here.

An interesting (and eclectic) collection of various essays and introductions written for and about other projects.

Dating from 1964 to quite recently, with brief contextual commentary added, these articles range from a coin collector's take on Raymond Chandler's The High Window (which centers on a missing rare coin) to travels both exotic and domestic to thoughts on book anthologies to... Well, this, that, and the other thing.

It's a bit rambling at times, not quite stream of consciousness so much as snippets taken from different conversations over a period of time. I don't know if those unfamiliar with the author will find it as interesting but, as a long time Block fan, I found it fascinating.

***I received a free digital copy of this title through NetGalley.